It is hard choose for me because I have heard something about them but I'm not quite sure.

What I know about smallest chainrings:
If you are high class rider you don't need one in race because you don't use it (I haven't used it for a couple years, I turned my f. derailure bolt so that it don't shift on smallest chainring).

But if you take it of you have a risk that your chain can fall of and/or stuck or simply make you stop to put it on with hands.

I personally would not get rid of the granny ring. It seems absurd. I don't consider myself a strong rider (comparing to guys in my club) but I am no slouch and I would find more difficulty than any actual advantage without the granny in an average race.

WHat I would do is get rid of the big ring. Never ever have I used it in a race and in regular riding not even 1% of the time. Have been fiddling with that idea for a while and it seems to make sense. What do the rest of you think?!?

Hy!
Do you really think that bigest chainring isn't necessary? Because I really think that is the thing you can't live without, of course if you never ever ride faster than 30 - 35 km/h than you are wright, but I can't imagine what does it looks like - riding without bigest ring.
I have riden in some road races with my mtb and I hadn't reachd finish line if I wouldn't have my bigest ring with 36 cogs.
Now I'm going to World Championship in Austria and I start to consider to put some smaller rings. Now I have 28/36/46 but my I should race with some smaller I think standart XT crankset - maybe?

I race in Cross Country MTB races as well as train on tracks that are very similar to racecourses ie lots of climbing, technical decents and some flats as well, and all offroad. Anyway there is very little, usually no places suitable to pedal to speeds where you need the big ring (40 kph+). In ALL my MTB life so far I only use the big ring in order to do some top speed runs and that was on road. Hence the big ring promptly came off today, the added benefit being the extra clearance over logs. Bear in mind my rings are 22-32-44 so thats where misunderstanding comes from, your big ring is only 36 teeth. If you do not use granny at all, take it off. I did the same but with my big ring because in both our cases they are just a useless weight. If you're worried about chain falling off look ingto ways to incrase tension in your chain but honestly you should be fine.

I started thinking more though. Of the racing I have done so far, 2 were completely granny ring tracks, one was middle ring flat track, and other two were granny with one flat for a middle ring. In other words hardly any front ring changing. Hence I took off my front derailleur and shifter. THat saves 500 gm. Form now on, on my sighting lap at the race I'll establish whether I need to shift rings in lap and decide whether to run a front derailleur. I run SRAM chains with powerlink, so the whole 'removing derailleur and shifter' procedure takes about 5 mins with only 5 mm allen key. Whether you can take advantage of this depends largely on the type of tracks you race on, but here in Melbourne, Australia tracks seem to have heaps of climbing and little flats so it will work for me. I may not be the strongest rider (yet), but I know my engineering. It's cause I am one!!!

Here in America we use Cannondale 2x9 crankset. They have only 2 chainrings. 29t and 44t. Now you are permanetly stuck in the big-ring (so you have to hammer hard and go fast), and then for climbs we have the 29t granny gear. It's a mix of standard granny and a middle ring so you can power up the climbs while still spinning your legs.

Personally I think everyone can push a big gear. Because if your light (125lbs), then the big ring won't be a hard gear to push. If your heavier (215lbs), then the big ring is hard to push, but because your larger you have more muscle to push.

Power-to-weigh-ratio. It's the same for everybody, so no excuses on who's lighter or who's heavier.

Ryan

P.S. -This Cannondale Crank is also currently 2nd and 4th overall in the World Cup!!!

last time i used a granny ring wasa bout two years ago. I now use a 44/ 32 with the granny removed and an 11/32 cassette and have been able to climb any muntain or obstacle. If the terrain is steeper thn than you'd be better off and faster running up the incline.

Tarantula 2x9 crank on it's way from cannondale and not a moment too soon.

I think the weight issue is irrelevant. To me the advantage of 2x9 has nothing to do with weight but more to do with useable gear ratios and superior chain line. I seem to be going through fewer chains.

but to answer your ?, I think the 2x9 + 12-34Ti cassette is the lighter way to go. and the more durable.
Granny's are usually steel anyway so theres no way the 34T sprocket willweigh as much as a 22 steel chainring.

I also do not use a granny on my training MTB bike. Only 46/34 at front and xtr or dura ace cassettes in the back (which cassette depends on offroad / road use)

When I race I DO have a 46/36/26 in front because I mainly do marathon-long distances (100k and more offroad ) and it is useful to be able to put it on the granny for a while on those long climbs, to rest a bit and save power.

So it is not a question of not being able to climb on the 36/34 but just a matter of saving strenght.

On my training bouts (which include some hefty 20% climbs offroad) I have no need for a granny gear. I get it all done on the 34/ 34 combo. If I cannot ride it , I will walk , it is mostly on impossible climbs anyway .

I post a pic as an attach of my training bike. For more info on my bikes' setup, see my website

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